Democratic presidential rivals and their supporters vied for advantage in court, on a debate stage and at the ballot box yesterday in an unsettled race for the party's nomination to the White House.

The Nevada Supreme Court issued a pre-debate ruling that said MSNBC was within its rights to exclude Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich. The network had no immediate response to the order, which reversed a lower court decision in favor of the congressman.

The court case was in Nevada, where a few of Clinton's supporters sought to force a change in ground rules for next Saturday's caucuses.

Their objective was to prevent several caucuses along the Las Vegas strip, where thousands of Culinary Workers Union employees - many of them Hispanic or black - hold jobs.

The rules were approved in May, when the former first lady was the overwhelming national front-runner in the race. But the union voted to endorse Obama last week, and the lawsuit followed.

On his way to the Nevada debate, Edwards, still searching for a primary victory, stopped in Oklahoma City and predicted his North Carolina rural roots would appeal to Oklahoma Democrats on Feb 5, when they and voters in more than 20 other states have primaries or caucuses. In 2004, he finished second in Oklahoma's presidential primary to retired general Wesley Clark.

Huckabee: Halt 'terrorist state' immigration

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee called yesterday for suspending immigration from countries that sponsor or harbor terrorists.

Hitting the campaign trail for South Carolina's Saturday primary, Huckabee sharpened his rhetoric on immigration and embraced a tougher measure than any of his rivals have so far.

"There's a couple of things we're going to do differently," Huckabee told about 300 supporters in Rock Hill, shortly after arriving from Michigan. "I say we ought to put a hiatus on people who come in here . . . if they come from countries that sponsor and harbor terrorists."

"Let's say, until you get your act in order, and we get our act in order, we're not going to just let you keep coming and threaten the future and safety of America," he said.

"Every one of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 came here legally. Our government welcomed them in," Huckabee said.

Huckabee didn't mention the proposal at his second stop, a rally of about 250 in Sumter. Afterward, his new senior adviser, Jim Pinkerton, backed away from the proposal, saying that Huckabee really meant that wants a "thorough review" of immigration policies.

"What should be the news is he's going to build a fence," Pinkerton said. Huckabee has been calling for a fence to seal off the U.S.-Mexico border for several months.

BET founder defends Obama criticism

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